The Girl Who Was Made of Rice

PART I The Story of an Unsuperhero 

Dinar was a girl who was made of rice. It was an acknowledged fact, that instead of a layer of dermis, she possessed a layer of starch, that crumpled up into little grains of rice to form her skin. It was tinged slightly nude in colour, and could have easily passed as a terrible acne condition. Dinar's parents supported her fiercely, although deep in their good hearts, they were slightly disconcerted with their daughter's genetic presentation. 

Hoping for her to grow as normal as possible, Dinar was enrolled in the local community school. Here, she received the normal treatment for a person who was abnormal. Treated as a pariah, she was taunted, teased and bullied. The other kids threw sauces at her, and poked her with culinary utensils. She was once immersed into the pool, by tormentors curious to see if she would turn into porridge. Her rice skin soaked and fell off, but dry ones grew almost immediately.  

Gradually, Dinar became depressed.

Of course she was. Her skin wasn't her  fault. Although her parents were kind, they didn't understand. Efforts were made to talk to authorities, but in vain. Coaxing words such as "ignore them" and "you are strong" does not have much impact when rebutted with numerous assaults on a daily basis. Even from strangers, there were stares and snickers. Dinar continued to be an outcast all the way through high school. There were no photos of her graduation. 

Then, before entering university, she announced her decision to undergo a surgery. She would be normal at last.

The surgery lasted for months, a hazy drug addled period of time where Dinar received numerous treatments and operations. At the end of August that year, Dinar was reborn, a fresh, normal physical being. Her skin was smooth, glowing with the radiance of her new found confidence. People treated her ordinarily, no more taunts, no more back stabbings or stares. Freshman intake, in a different country far away from home, was welcomed as a new beginning.

On the first day of orientation, Dinar set out, ready to introduce and be introduced. And that was when she noticed that throughout the hall, there were people of various colours, various heights, and above all, various skin textures. There were people with scales on their limbs, girls with nude coloured leaves on their cheeks, a tall boy with large fleshy bananas for ears. They made up almost half of the student community, and they were all accepted, even if a little shy.

When the head of the student body came up on stage, Dinar was speechless. The stage lights illuminated what can not be mistaken as a skin of rice. She was stunned when she heard him welcome everyone handsomely and happily. Ashamed, as he regaled that rice was one of the rarest skin conditions, that he preserved, and that he was proud. The first day of university celebrated everyone's uniqueness, each with its own strength and flaws.

As the student head spoke, his gaze swept the diverse crowd. It stopped upon one other rice girl, briefly, and smiled at her. He did not stop to look at Dinar. He did not stare. 

Dinar was now a normal girl, after all.